<p>We are going to try a logistically complicated 4/5 day college visit trip, leaving either Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning, in late October, when our son has a few days off from high school. The two schools we want to see are Rice and MIT. Since we are in Milwaukee, this will involve a lot of travel. The issues we're trying to work out are whether we can see both campuses during a class day and do overnights at either or both. Rice doesn't do ovenights on Friday (not sure about MIT) so in order for my son to do an overnight at Rice we would have to schedule a way either to go to Houston first, or to get to Houston from Boston by Thursday. Couple questions: how important do you think an overnight visit is at Rice? Is this an essential way to get a feel for the college system, or is it likely to be so inherently "artificial" (carefully selected hosts, etc.) that it isn't really that valuable? Second, does anyone know how late in the day we could get to Houston and still have my son do an overnight visit? Is early evening too late?</p>
<p>Also, looking ahead, what kind of Thanksgiving break does Rice have? Is it just Thanksgiving day and the day after? That would make it pretty improbable for a kid who has to fly to make it home for the weekend.</p>
<p>Also, any suggestions for hotels or things to see and do in Houston (preferably not too far afield from Rice) would be welcome. Son isn't a sports fan so that's not an option.</p>
<p>I feel that the overnight visit is important to get a feel of the university. I stayed overnight during Owl Days, and I felt it gave an authentic portrait of the university (my hosts were very honest about the Rice experience). </p>
<p>However, if worse comes to worse, your son can take a day admissions tour at Rice in October and he can do the overnight visit if he gets in. I didn’t visit Rice before I applied, but I flew down to Houston after I got into Rice and was invited to Owl Days (two event for admitted students with overnight stay included). If your son is offered a merit scholarship, Rice will even reimburse your for travel to Owl Days (up to $300, although that might change with the economy and all). So you may want to hold off on visiting Rice, but it is up to you.</p>
<p>Last time, I checked Rice has only Thanksgiving, day after Thanksgiving, Saturday, and Sunday off. However, I heard many students end up leaving on Wednesday since the professors don’t teach much the day before Thanksgiving. So, don’t let that stop your son from attending Rice… we do have a 3 week long Christmas break to make up for that minor inconvenience during Thanksgiving.</p>
<p>Houston has a lot to offer. I recently spent a week there, and there are so many nice restaurants, shopping, and attractions. Rice Village is a nice shopping area next to Rice, and it has many nice restaurants. There’s also the Galleria mall, which is the 7th largest mall in the U.S. Also, the Musuem of Fine Arts, the Contemporary Arts Museum, and Hermann Park are all a 5-10 min walk from campus. There is so much to do in Houston… these are just some of the things.</p>
<p>Hope all this helps. I realize that I still have not officially matriculated at Rice, but I have done a great deal of research on Rice and on the Houston area.</p>
<p>I stayed overnight with a friend and it was a blast. I later stayed through the university sponsored overnight program and that is what finally convinced me to go. I think an overnight is an essential part of a visit because it shows “behind the scenes.” It shows what the University wont show you on a tour: real student life on an average day. I would say it is invaluable and not to be missed (if you can afford the time).</p>
<p>Re the Thanksgiving break, DD has flown home 2xs but this year is staying there with friends. She would fly Wed and Sunday AM. Continental had direct flights with Milwaukee, which is what you want for a holiday. And if you were doing it this year, the price is under $250.</p>
<p>I agree with what everyone here has said about the value of staying overnight. However, my daughter didn’t do that until Owl Days, when she’d been accepted and was trying to make a decision, in case that’s something you also want to consider.</p>
<p>We live in CA and my daughter came home for Thanksgiving last year (and I already have her flight booked for this year). It’s true that it’s a short visit, and the flight is the most expensive one I book for her all year, and the one I jump on as soon as Southwest flights become available for that date, since everyone wants to travel at the same time. </p>
<p>As for things to do, visit the museums! There are tons of them right in walking distance (or a quick drive) of Rice. The Natural History Museum is great, and it has some interesting iMax movie choices (mostly science or history related). So are the art museums, of all varieties. I may be in the minority here, but I think there are some interesting things to see and do downtown. We parked downtown and wandered around, then ate at a Japanese restaurant that had outdoor seating (which you might particularly enjoy, coming from Milwaukee in February!). I can’t really recommend the aquarium, I’m afraid.</p>
<p>Rice doesn’t do official overnight stays on Friday, but if you know someone at Rice you can stay overnight without going through the admissions office. I can hook you up with someone; PM me and I’ll tell you more.</p>
<p>I would highly suggest visiting overnight. I went to Owl Days and did not do an overnight visit because I had a Rice/Baylor interview the next morning and I didn’t want to be super-tired for the interview.</p>
<p>I think that my Rice visit was actually worse because I didn’t stay overnight. I didn’t get to talk to many current students, so my only discussions were with prospective Rice students like myself–which was not at all representative of the Rice point of view, in my opinion. It kind of freaked me out when it came down to actually choosing colleges.</p>
<p>I would say it’s really important to keep an open mind REGARDLESS of the overnight visit. My roommate stayed overnight with a girl who was studying for a Chem final and was not that extroverted/social. My roommate said this wasn’t the best experience, and I obviously didn’t have the best experience with not getting to stay overnight at all, but we’re both coming to Rice!</p>
<p>I know everyone is saying this, but staying overnight at Rice (or any other school you are considering) is important. I would not be going to Rice were it not for Owl Days. I didn’t find it “artificial” at all. In fact, staying overnight at colleges gives you a much more authentic feel for any school than a tour does. I especially reccomend this for other northerners who might have qualms about going to school in Texas.</p>
<p>Also: I’m trying to figure the same thing out about Thanksgiving, and I’m pretty sure that going home is doable.</p>
<p>I don’t think it is crucial to do an overnight visit as a prospective student, as long as you understand that you won’t get a strong feel for the student body without doing so. I do think it is important to attend Owl Days if you are accepted and need to make a final decision as to which college to attend. (JMHO) I know it totally changed my DD’s mind as to whether to go to Rice or not. She did not have a good “admissions” experience due to problems scheduling interviews, etc… and visited the school on a Saturday morning when the whole campus felt dead. (Now we know better! Almost everyone is asleep at that time!) She was leaning towards other schools, then attended Owl Days and knew it was for her . She had a fabulous 4 years at Rice!</p>
<p>Another suggestion I would make, whether your son does an overnight visit or not, is to try to connect with some current students during your visit. Before Owl Days, my daughter got the name and email address of a girl at Rice who had graduated from her high school a couple of years earlier. My daughter spent several hours with that girl when we were visiting Rice, and got to meet a bunch of students in a relaxed, informal way as a result. I agree with the person who said that if you only meet other prospective students during your stay, you don’t really get the full picture. During Owl Days, my daughter ended up with a host who was busy with finals and didn’t have much time for her. She really credits the meeting with the girl from her HS and that girl’s friends for her choosing Rice. She got the contact info for that girl from her HS counselor. If your son can’t do the same, take NYSkins up on the offer to connect you with someone and/or PM me. I’m sure my daughter would be happy to talk to your son during his visit.</p>